


This was Love

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, In Love, Langst, Love Confession, M/M, Minor Allura/Romelle (Voltron), Panic Attack, klance, klance told from team point of view, klangst, spotify playlist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-04 04:22:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16339715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: They sat there for hours, well past midnight, entering the early morning, but neither of them cared. Lance had long since calmed down but he needed this. He needed the secureness of him. He needed the warmth and the comfort. He needed the breathing and the slow heartbeat that came with it. He needed him.





	This was Love

**Author's Note:**

> This is a rewritten version of my last one. I just added some paragraphs that seemed necessary for the story to move on. I honestly don’t think it’s complete and at it’s best but I want to post every version so I can compare. Please be kind.

[Spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/amelia.thomson03/playlist/7vte2Haon1bfFYgwKzqanQ?si=LLYDcIM7RM-AstNUC_KwDw)

 

 

He wasn’t supposed to have nightmares from the sickening war outside, he wasn’t supposed to leave his family, and he certainly wasn’t supposed to fall in love with Keith. But the universe sucks and that’s how it was now. Lance refusing to close his eyes at night, afraid of what might project behind his eyelids, of the horrors he’d seen. Lance missing his family with all his heart. Missing the noise, the laughter, and the love. And Lance secretly pining for the red paladin. To be noticed by him. To touch him. To kiss him.

Worthless.

Yea, he was friends with Hunk and Pidge but he wasn’t really, in, the group anymore. He’d been tossed aside and made fun off. He wasn’t smart enough to join them, even if they had gotten into the same school. So Lance had found comfort in Keith and things started getting better. They became more then just fake rivals and arguments. They became late night talks and shy smiles.

Useless.

Keith had always been there for him, even if they were just arguing or fighting. He was still there, by Lance’s side, unwilling to give up. Keith was usually the one to find him when he was his most vulnerable. He’d been drinking water on the kitchen counter at 3 in the morning or watching the stars on the bridge or standing back from a crowd on a planet they’d just saved. He always had the right words or not words. Keith gave him the most comfortable silences and the most comfortable presence. Lance always found himself gravitating towards him, no matter the situation.

Dumb.

But that was probably all in his head. Lance tended to dwell on every small act of kindness someone showed him. Every smile, every laugh, and every touch. He fell in love too quickly. He fell in love with the idea of being in love but even though Keith might not be in love with him, Lance had never felt this way about someone before and it killed him. It was physically painful for him to understand he could never be his. He wanted it to stop.

Unworthy.

Truth be told, Lance was lonely. He wanted his mum or his brother, he would even take Veronica at this point. He needed someone that he knew loved him. He needed someone that could understand him. But he couldn’t have that.

Lance was sat, crossed legged, where he usually was when the rest of the team were fast asleep, unaware of the fidgeting boy counting and memorizing each planet that came on the map projected in front of him.

You don’t deserve to be here.

Lance picked at his nails as he listed them off in his head, trying desperately to drown the voices in his head, fighting hard to stop the shouting and screaming. Lance put his hands on his ears. He needed them to shut up. He needed to be able to breathe and to be able to think. He only needed a second but his mind refused and so did his body.

You’re useless.

His breathing was the first one to pick up speed, then his heart followed close behind. Against his better judgment, Lance clamped his eyes shut and as expected, all the horrors and the blood played out in front of him like a movie and he screamed. He screamed to slow down his breathing, he screamed to drown out the voices, and he screamed because he was fucking terrified.

No one fucking cares.

Lance hadn’t heard the footsteps cautiously approaching him until that someone touched him and he flinched away. ‘No, No go away’ he kept repeated over and over in his head. A voice was muffled, someone was trying to reach him, but he refused to give in. He didn’t want anyone seeing him like this. No one was allowed to see him like this. He kept his eyes shut as he scrambled away from them, kicking his legs frantically pushing himself further back.

Stop being so fucking insane.

The voice stopped and Lance began to cry. Full body sobs that ripped through him like tidal waves. He pressed his hands further into the sides of his head, over his ears, trying desperately to drown them out. It hurt, but he couldn’t feel it. He hurt everywhere and nowhere at all.

You’re insane.

“Stop, please, stop!” Lance screamed out loud now. He was desperate and so scared and it was clear in the tone of his voice. Strong arms wrapped around his lower torso and he fought against it, but they just got tighter. They pulled him in close. He was pressed against a chest now. He took a breath in and he was swarmed with his scent. He liked the warmth and the safety. Lance let his arms fall to his side and he sat there, in his arms, crying and hyperventilating. He was having a panic attack.

You’re so fucking weak. Give up.

He only started to panic more at the realisation his brain supplied him with. He was moving away, not trying to get away from them but from himself. They loosened their grip but still remained close and encircling him.

Stop! You’re doing this for attention.

“I can’t, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t” he couldn’t find any other words. He was flustered and stumbling over his words, trying desperately to rush them out with the little oxygen he was receiving.

“You can’t what?” He heard softly.

It took him a minute. His hands were clawing at his neck, trying to help himself get oxygen.

“Breath.” He croaked out.

They moved closer, manoeuvring so that their mouth was by his ear and that their chest was flushed against his own.

He heard low steady breathing by his ear and he revelled in it. He held his breath and took a breath in when they did. In and out with them. Matching the pattern. He felt a hand softly run through his hair and he visibly relaxed. He pushed his head further into his chest. He heard the slow heartbeat in his right ear and the steady breathing in the other. Lance forced himself to focus on those two things. In and out. He’d stopped crying now, he was too focused on everything else to even think about crying. In and out. He began to count each heartbeat. 1….2….3….4. With each one that past his breathing slowed with it.

You’re alone.

They sat there for hours, well past midnight, entering the early morning, but neither of them cared. Lance had long since calmed down but he needed this. He needed the secureness of him. He needed the warmth and the comfort. He needed the breathing and the slow heartbeat that came with it. He needed him.

Weak.

Harsh words still rang throughout his head, but they were quieter now. Covered by loud breathing. Lance finally pulled back, only enough to see his face, and sighed. He took in the dark purple orbs staring back at him, the pale skin, and the hair that flopped lightly over his eyes. Lance reached up and tucked it behind Keith’s ear. He rested his hand on his cheek and Keith leant into it. “I’m sorry,” he said miserably. Keith shook his head and ran his fingers through the boy's hair.

Alone.

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” He replied softly. Lance let out a sigh through his nose and looked down.

Disappointment.

He continued “ I see you Lance. I understand the pain and the loneliness and the hatred. I see you trying to cover up the pain with the jokes and the laughter. I see you trying to fight past the tears welling up in your eyes when the team makes a stupid comment about you. I see you covering it up with a fake smile or a wave of the hand. You have the right to feel angry because the way they are treating you right now is absolute shit. The way they’ve made you feel is fucking disgusting.” He searched the blue orbs looking back at him in awe.

“You deserve the fucking universe and I’m sorry you can’t see that. You’re this amazing, bright, bubbly boy who has been hurt and it’s okay to feel this way. You can. You’re allowed to. You make everyone else so happy and put everyone’s needs before your own but now it’s your turn. It’s your turn to be loved and appreciated because you damn well deserve it. You’re beautiful and loving and caring. You’re funny and upbeat and quirky. You’re strong and powerful and extraordinary. You deserve all the happiness in the world.” He finished, face determined and heartbroken.

Lance shook his head, letting out a laugh in disbelief and looked down.

“Hey - hey,” he said lifting Lance’s head up by his chin so he could look into his eyes. “I want you to know that I’m here for you. I’m not going to let you drown. I’ll always be there to lend you air, Lance.”

Found.

Lance didn’t know what to say, to tell him how thankful he was for him, or how to tell him how much that meant to him. How much Keith meant to him.

“Thank you.” He said but he felt it wasn’t enough.

So he showed him instead. He leant forward, moving his hand to the nape of his neck and pulled him in, their lips met so softly. There was this fear of breaking one another. Unsure if this is what the other boy wanted. Lance pulled back, but he didn’t go far. Keith pulled him back in and kissed him with force. It was filled with passion and love. Lance tilted his head up, so he could get a better angle, and ran his tongue along Keith's bottom lip. The boy sighed and opened his mouth, giving Lance full access. They moved in sync, fitting with each other perfectly.

Safe.

Keith pushed his hands up Lance’s shirt and rested them on his lower back, forcefully pulling the boy closer to him so he was sitting in his lap. Lance let out a surprised noise and giggled. He brought his hands up into the raven hair, tugging and playing with it as he kissed him. After what felt like hours, Lance pulled back and rested their foreheads together, breathing heavily.

Love.

“Wow,” Lance sighed. Keith moved forward and planted a chaste kiss on the boy's mouth and hummed in agreement. “Lance,” Keith breathed out, “Lance, Lance, Lance.” He smiled. Lance’s heart stopped. His stomach flipped and swooned hearing him say his name. He looked down. “Keith..I-” Keith brought his hand up and placed his hand on the Cubans neck, using his middle finger to draw circles on his skin. Lance looked back up. “I love you.” he breathed out. Keith froze, his eyes widening and he looked up from his lips to his eyes. A large smile spread out on his face. “I love you, too.” Keith laughed, and it made Lance light up. He felt electricity course through his bones, intensifying at every point they touched. Keith moved forward and planted kisses on every inch of Lance’s face. “I love you, I love you, I love you” he repeated as he kissed the boy. It caused Lance to giggle uncontrollably. His chest filled with warmth, as they lay there on the ground, in love. They both found their home in each other.

Home.

\---

Hunk was the first to notice the change in the two boys attitude towards each other. He noticed the constant contact between the two, whether it’d be a finger through a belt loop, hand in the pocket of the other, or playing with each others hair.

On the rare occasions that Lance was wearing a short sleeve or showing some sort of bare skin on his arms, Keith was always there. He always had the tips of his fingers loosely drawing patterns up and down, side to side, on the exposed skin. And he did it in a way that looked so natural, so fitting, that it’d be weird if he didn’t.

Whenever they weren’t in armour or in full body gear, Lance always had his hand underneath Keith’s shirt. He always just had it sitting on his hip, or his back, or his stomach, and it always rode his shirt up but the team refused to look. As if it was a secret not meant for them. Whenever the two were clad in armour, they always had a foot touching a foot or an ankle around an ankle. They always drifted towards each other, found a way to be next to each other when it seemed there was no room to be.

And Hunk, of course, noticed the way Keith treated Lance when he was fidgeting or whenever he was unsettled. Keith always seemed to have something to preoccupy Lance when he couldn't sit still. He always had a hair band around his wrist, a stress ball he’d found at one of the space malls they’d visited or even a piece of paper for Lance to fold and unfold religiously. Whenever Lance's breath started to pick up, Keith was always there, running his hand loosely through his hair and it always calmed him down, no matter the situation.

The most shocking thing for Hunk was how Lance reacted to Keith getting frustrated or angry. When Keith started to shout or ball his fists up, Lance didn’t back down as the others did, he stayed by his side and simply placed his hand on Keith’s jaw, it would immediately unclench, and he would begin to take slow deep breaths. It was as if it was magic. Someone shouldn’t have that much of an effect on someone else, but Hunk knew it was more than that. It was love. They were each others anchor, bringing the other back to reality when they strayed too far.

\---

Allura didn’t understand how Keith did it. Lance was constantly tugging at his shirt or his hair or his belt and it drove her insane and she wasn’t even on the receiving end. She’d asked him once, about how he puts up with it. How he stands it and he was puzzled, as if he didn’t even notice it.

“Do you enjoy holding Romelles hand?” She nodded.

“That’s what Lance does instead. He’s a touchy person. He’s warm and wonderful and fidgety and that’s how he shows it. His affection comes in the form of odd contact. He holds my hand but he can only do so when he’s able to play with my fingers. He’s just like that” he shrugged gazing longingly at the door lance had recently just left through.

Allura understood. Keith didn’t care, he only cared that Lance was with him and that he was in love.

Allura always saw them together. Always touching each other. It was a weird sight for her to see, considering Keith was a very reserved person but it felt natural now.

—-

For Shiro, it was when they were fighting alongside each other. They did it with such ease, already anticipating the other’s move. They twirled and slid by each other, never once getting in the others way, fighting for the others safety more than their own. Keith was always fighting in Lance’s blind spot, and Lance was always fighting in Keith's. It was amazing and scary to watch two people move around each other without once saying what they were doing since they already knew.

After Shiro realised something had changed between the two, he started noticing how they always disappeared before a mission where they would be separated or unable to track the others moves. He’d found them in a hallway once before a mission, and he never questioned their disappearances again.

They’d been just standing there, pressed up against the wall and each other. Keith's arms wrapped around Lance’s lower abdomen and Lances’ wrapped around Keith’s upper torso. His head was tucked in the crook of the red paladins neck and Keith’s chin rested by the boy's ear. They just stood there like that, eyes closed, not saying a word, just taking each other in. Shiro felt wrong for staring, like he was violating their privacy, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away. His gaze lingered until Keith used his fingers to lift Lance’s head by his chin and kiss him. He tore his eyes away and left them alone.

A few minutes later they’d reentered the Hangar, hand in hand.

This was love, Shiro realised. This is what he had had with Adam and what he'd always wanted for Keith and his chest bloomed because of it. He didn’t know how or when but he knew they were in love.


End file.
